This application is based upon, and claims the benefit of priority of, prior Japanese Patent Application 2001-212428, filed Jul. 12, 2001, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a ventilation controlling apparatus suited for use in a vehicular air-conditioning system. The apparatus opens and closes an air passage slide door that moves inside a passage casing member that forms the air passage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, ventilation controlling apparatuses switch the direction of air passage by moving a film member, such as in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei. 8-2238. In some instances, such an apparatus is constructed so that one end of the film member is linked to a driving shaft and the other end to a driven shaft so that the film member can be wound. Normally it is necessary to make the driving shaft and the driven shaft move as a linkage. Therefore, it is provided with linking mechanisms such as pulleys and wires. As a result, there is a problem in that the number of components for the entire apparatus increases, and the mounting becomes complicated. Additionally, these occurrences add to the overall cost of such an apparatus.
Consequently, the present applicant has proposed a ventilation controlling apparatus with a simplified construction in which no winding mechanism of the film member is necessary. Such a structure can be found in Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-275306. In this prior application, a guide member is provided inside the casing that forms the air passage, and this guide member guides both of the end portions in a width direction of the film member (corresponding to the slide door of the present invention), and a driving gear of the driving shaft is engaged with the film member. With this construction, the film member reciprocates along the guide member by the rotation of the driving shaft, permitting the air passage of the casing to be opened and closed.
When actually making a prototype and conducting an evaluation test of the apparatus in the above-mentioned prior application, it was understood that the following problem occurred. When a flexible film member slides along the inner wall face of the casing and is guided by the guide member to a point located over an aperture such as a face aperture on the casing side, the film member deforms so as to expand to the downwind side upon receiving airflow pressure. Therefore, when this expanding shape of the film member to the downwind side is forced to be deformed to a shape in accordance with the shape of circumferential edge-sealing portions at the back and front of the aperture on the casing side by the circumferential edge-sealing portions, the film member makes a sudden change in its shape (flipping over its shape), and generates an abnormal sound (slapping noise).
When the film member advances into the aperture on the casing side, the film member also makes a sudden change in its shape. The film member flips over its shape from a state having a shape conforming to the shape of the circumferential edge-sealing portion of the aperture, and generates an abnormal sound (slapping noise).
The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems. Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to prevent such abnormal sounds from occurring around the slide door, which is constructed of a flexible film member.
In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a first aspect of the present invention provides an aperture that is opened and closed by moving a slide door inside a passage casing member. The slide door is formed of a flexible film member. The slide door interfaces with a sealing surface on an inner side of a circumferential edge-sealing portion(19a) located at back and front sides of the aperture in a moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the slide door (14, 22). The circumferential edge-sealing portions formed on circumferential edges of the aperture, is made to have a shape dented or curved more to a downwind side of the aperture at a central portion than at both end portions of the slide door in the passage member in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d).
With this construction, the film member can maintain an expanded shape to the downwind side of the aperture, when the film member of the slide door moves from the aperture to the circumferential edge-sealing portion at the rear side of the aperture, or when the film member of the slide door moves from the circumferential edge-sealing portion at the front side of the aperture to the aperture. This is because, even when the film member of the slide door receives wind pressure at the aperture, and protrudes in an expanded state to the downwind side, the sealing surface on the inner side of the circumferential edge-sealing portions at the rear and front side in the moving direction of the door has a shape dented to the downwind side of the aperture. As a result, there is no reversal in the shape of the film member of the slide door, and a generation of an abnormal sound (slapping noise) accompanying this reversal in shape of the film member is prevented.
A second aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the passage member is constructed by joining together a plurality of divided passage members in unity, in the first aspect of the present invention. It is also characterized in that a joining surface of the plurality of divided passage members is formed approximately parallel to the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the door near the central portion of the door in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the door. That is, the surface is orthogonal to the moving direction of the door.
When the passage member is constructed by the plurality of divided passage members in such a way, and the joining surface of the plurality of divided passage members is formed near the central portion in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the door, the sealing surface on the inner side of the circumferential edge-sealing portion can be formed to have a shape dented to the downwind side. This shape also serves as a draft angle in releasing the member from a mold when molding the divided passage members.
There may be a case in which a deviation in location of the joining surface occurs due to discrepancies or dispersion in sizes during manufacturing. However, an obstruction of the movement of the film member of the slide door can be eased, even when the above-mentioned deviation in location occurs, because the joining surface is roughly parallel to the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the door.
A third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that a lattice member, for regulating the slide door from protruding in an expanded state to the downwind side of the aperture due to wind pressure, is arranged roughly parallel to the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d), in the first or second aspect of the present invention. It is also characterized in that both end portions, in the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the door, of an end surface of the lattice member on an upwind side is connected on roughly a same surface with the sealing surface on the inner side of the circumferential edge-sealing portion.
With this construction, it is possible to regulate the slide door from protruding to the downwind side due to the wind pressure with the lattice member. Furthermore, it is possible to make the contact surface between the slide door and the end surface on the upwind side of the lattice members shift smoothly to the sealing surface on the inner side of the circumferential edge-sealing portion. This is because the lattice members are roughly parallel to the moving directions (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the door, and both end portions, in the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the door, of the end surface at the upwind side of the lattice members are connected in roughly the same surface with the inner side of the circumferential edge-sealing portion. Therefore, it is possible to ensure an even more stable action of the slide door which is composed of a film member.
A fourth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that an aperture is opened and closed by moving a slide door inside a passage member. The slide door is formed of a flexible film member. It is also characterized in that at least one lattice member, for regulating the slide door from protruding in an expanded state to a downwind side of the aperture due to wind pressure, is arranged roughly parallel to a moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the slide door. Additionally, a sealing surface on an inner side of a circumferential edge-sealing portion located at rear and front sides of the aperture in the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the slide door, out of circumferential edge-sealing portions formed on circumferential edges of the aperture, is made to be the following shape in the passage member. This shape has a portion of the sealing surface along an extended direction of a central portion between both end surfaces and the lattice member being dented more to a downwind side of the aperture than portions of the sealing surface along extended directions of both of the end surfaces, and along an extended direction of the lattice member. Both end surfaces mentioned above are in a direction orthogonal to the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the aperture.
With this constitution, it is possible to regulate the slide door, which is composed of a film member, from protruding in an expanded state to the downwind side due to the wind pressure with the lattice member.
Incidentally, a phenomenon occurs, in which the slide door protrudes in an expanded state to the downwind side due to the wind pressure between at least one lattice member, and both of the end surfaces of the aperture in the direction orthogonal to the moving direction (xe2x80x9caxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cbxe2x80x9d) of the door. In the fourth aspect of the present invention, in view of this phenomenon, the sealing surface on the inner side of the circumferential edge-sealing portion is made to be a particular shape, with the portion along the extended direction of the central portion between both end surfaces and the lattice member being dented more to the downwind side of the aperture than the portions along the extended directions of both of the end surfaces of the aperture, and along the extended directions of the lattice members.
Therefore, it is possible to maintain the expanding protruding shape of the slide door after it has been regulated by at least one lattice member, even at the circumference edge-sealing portions on the rear and front sides in the moving direction of the door. With this construction, it is possible to exert an effect of restraining the abnormal sound (slapping noise), similar to those in the first aspect, even when the lattice members are arranged inside the aperture.
A fifth aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the apparatus is provided with a plurality of the lattice members as in the fourth aspect of the invention. It is also characterized in that the sealing surface on the inner side of the circumferential edge-sealing portion is made to be a particular shape, with a portion of the sealing surface along an extended direction of a central portion between the plurality of lattice members being dented more to the downwind side of the aperture than portions of the sealing surface along extended directions of the plurality of lattice members. With this constitution, action and effect similar to those mentioned in the fourth aspect can be exerted, even when installing a plurality of lattice members.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.